Ball accelerator



' Sept. 28, 196 5 .J. B. WYATT BALL ACCELERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 4, 1962 INVENTOR:

v.Sept. 28, 1965 J. B. WYATT 7 BALL ACCELERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Filed Oct. 4 1962 United States Patent Oflice 3,208,748 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 3,208,748 BAL'L ACCELERATOR James B. Wyatt, Brooklyn, N.Y., asslgnor to Brunswick Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 228,399

- 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) quickly as possible after it is removed from the pit area."

This necessitates increasing the speed of the ball as it travels along the return track. Ball accelerators to accomplish this are old in the bowling field, however they generally act on a slowly moving ball and impart immediate high rotationalmovement to theball. .This oftentimes damages or scuffs and marks the surface of the ball.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to pro- I .vide a new and improved ball accelerator rotating at a constant speed which initially contacts the ball slowly and gradually increases the speed of the ball without slippage or scufiing thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ball accelerator which commences the acceleration of the ball immediately upon removal of the ball from the pit..

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ball accelerator having a high friction shaped surface which drives a ball along a shaped ball return track.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ball accelerator having a ball entrance at the center of the acceleratorand which uses the underside of the accelerator to impart acceleration to a ball.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved ball accelerator having a rotating member of conical configuration, the underside of which member increases the speed of a ball by moving the ball from the center to the periphery of said shaped member and along a curved path thereon. 1

Other objects and advantages. will become readily ap- I parent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a planviewof the invention positioned in a bowling lanev pit with portions thereof broken away to I more clearly illustrate the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the pit mechanism and accelerator taken about line 2-2 in FIG. 1 and including the ball track'in elevation.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointedoutin the appended claims.

' Referring now to-the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates the ball accelerator generally shown at 10 in its environment, located in a bowling alley pit. The pit is located at the rear of a standard bowling lane 12 which includes gutters 14 and an apron board 16. Pins 18 are shown in their usual position on the alley lane 12.

The pit area is defined by the apron board 16 at the front, the pin'elevator 20 at the rear and kickbacks 22 at either side thereof. Included in'the pit is a pit board 24 which is'mounted for vibratory movement as is well known in the art. A pit cushion 26 is mounted above pit board 24. An'aperture 28is located in the pit board 24 and operatively related to the pit cushion 26 as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The aperture 28 is blocked by a movable ball door 30. Located beneath the aperture 28 and the ball door 30 is the ball accelerator 10 which includes a rotating conically shaped member 40 operatively positioned with a ball return track 42 of spiral configuration, the track leading from one end 41 thereof at the aperture 28 in the pit floor to the bowler's end ofthe lane (not shown). The track 42 forms a spirally curved path progressively increasing in distance from the axis of the member 40 to the lower periphery of the member and at this point forms an extended substantially straight portion generally transverse to the axis of the member 40 as at 42a.

In theoperation of transferring the ball from the bowlers end of the lane to the ball removal position, the bowling ball 50 passes through the pin pattern shown at 18, over the apron board 16 and enters the pit where it is guided by the vibrating pit board 24 to a removal position best shown in FIG. 2 resting on ball door 30. Roller 32, driven by belt 34 from drive means 36, frictionally contacts the ball'50 and imparts rotation thereto. As this happens, the ball is also supported by roller 38 mounted below the pin cushion 26. The rotating ball drives ball door 30 which is mounted on arm 31 and pivoted about shaft 33 to its unblocking position and the ball is permitted to pass through aperture 28 into contact with the ball return track 41. A spring (not shown) moves the ball door back to its blocking position.

As the ball contacts ball return track 42 at the ends 41 thereof, it is guided by the track 42 into engagement with the open-ended hollow member 40. This occurs since the ball track is spaced at distance less than the diameter of the ball away from the member 40 and the track is substantially parallel to the inner surface of the funnel-shaped member 40. The member 40 is driven as by a motor 44 and a belt 46 which encircles the lower periphery of the member 40. The member is mounted for rotation as by guide rollers 48 carried on support 45 by supports 47 and support rollers 49 which hold the member 40 in position but allow rotation thereof about a generally upright axis (not shown). Supports 47 on support 45 also position the ball track 42 in its proper relation to member 40. As member 40 is rotating, the top portion thereof which includes aperture 52, the aperture being of at least the size of a bowling ball, is rotating with a relatively slow speed in relation to the lower edge surface 54 of the member. This is because of the relationship between the angular velocity of the member and the linear velocity of any point on the member which is spaced a different distance away from the axis. This linear velocity of a point increases as the distance of the point from the axis increases. The inner surface of the conical member 40 is covered with a high friction material as at inclined inner surface 58.

In being removed from the pit, the ball passes through aperture 28 and aperture 52 and is supported by the ball return track while in engagement with the top inside edge of aperture 52. As member 40 rotates at a constant speed, the ball is then conveyed along the predetermined curved ball track 42 by the high friction surface 58. As the ball travels from the inner edge of aperture 52 in member 40 along the curved ball path on the high friction surface 58 to the edge 54 at the. lower periphery of the member, the speed of the ball is progressively increased due to the fact that as the ball travels from the upper inner surface of the member 40 to the lower surface therecussed hereinabove, the points of contact'on the member further from the axis of rotation are traveling at a moved to therefrom a distance tion.

ing, open-ended, hollow,

higher rate of speed even though member 40 is rotating at a constant speed.

Therefore, as the ball 50 is supported on the return track 42 and conveyed by the surface 58 along a spirally curved ball path progressively increasing in distance from the axis of the member, the ball is accelerated along the return track 42 and conveyed to the substantially straight portion 420 of the ball track 42 and from there further the bowlers end of the bowling lane.

, I claim:

1. In a bowling lane having a pit area with a pit board, a bowling ball return track, a ball door blocking an aperture in the pit board, and means to move said ball door to an unblocking position to permit passage of a ball through the aperture to the return track, a ball accelerating mechanism comprising: an open-ended, hollow cone rotatable about an axis, the surface of said cone being substantially parallel to the ball track and spaced less than the diameter of a ball, said cone. engageablewith a ball on said track; supports for said cone and track; and means for rotating the cone for conveying the ball along the ball track, the track forming a spirally curved predetermined path progressively increasing in distance from the axis of rota- 2. In a bowling lane having a pit area with a pit board and a bowling ball return track, a ball accelerating mechanism comprising: means for removing a ball from the pit area and placing said ball on the return track; a member rotatable about an axis and adjacent the track, being spaced therefrom a distance less than the diameter of a ball, said member engageable with a ball on said track; means for mounting said member; and means for rotating said member at a constant speed for conveying theball along the ball track, the track forming a spirally curved path progressively increasing in axis of the member and having an extended substantially straight portion generally transverse to said axis.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which the ball accelerating mechanism is positioned beneath the pit board.

4. A ball accelerating mechanism comprising: a rotatconically shaped member having a top and a bottom including an aperture of at least 1 the diameter of a ball, said distance from the the size of a ball at the top thereof; a high friction material on the inside surface of said member; and a spirally curved ball track operatively related to said member so that a ball passing through the aperture engages the ball track and is conveyed along the ball track by the inside of said member in a curved path from the central portion of the conical member towards the periphery thereof, the ball thereby increasing in speed as it travels along said curved path.

5. A ball accelerator comprising: an inverted, funnelshaped member having a top and a bottom, said member rotatable about an axis and having a tapered aperture therethrough symmetrical with the axis, with the top of the aperture of at least the size to receive a ball; and a ball track spaced from said member a distanceless than track being substantially parallel to the inside surface of the rotating member and having a curved path from the top of the aperture in a direction towards the bottom of said member.

6. In a bowling lane having a bowling ball return track, a ball accelerating mechanism comprising: a member rotatable about an axis and adjacent the track, being spaced therefrom a distance no greater than the diameter ofa ball, said member engageable with a ball on said track; means for mounting said member; and means for rotating said member at a constant speed for conveying the ball along the ball track, the track forming a spirally curved path progressively increasing in distance from the axis of the member and having an extended substantially straight portion generally transverse to said axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,689,128 9/54 Dowd et al. 273-43 2,714,508 8/55 Anderson 273-43 2,793,636 5/57 Cook 124-6 2,967,708 1/61v Huck et al. 273-49 X 2,979,333 4/61 Albrecht et al. 273-49 3,018,104 1/62 Gautraud 273-49 3,063,716 11/62 Dowd et a1. 273-49 X DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

6. IN A BOWLING LANE HAVING A BOWLING BALL RETURN TRACK, A BALL ACCELERATING MECHANISM COMPRISING: A MEMBER ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND ADJACENT THE TRACK, BEING SPACED THEREFROM A DISTANCE NO GREATER THAN THE DIAMETER OF A BALL, SAID MEMBER ENGAGABLE WITH A BALL ON SAID TRACK; MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID MEMBER; AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID MEMBER AT A CONSTANT SPEED FOR CONVEYING THE BALL ALONG THE BALL TRACK, THE TRACK FORMING A SPIRALLY CURVED PATH PROGRESSIVELY INCREASING IN DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF THE MEMBER AND HAVING AN EXTENDED SUBSTANTIALLY STRAIGHT PORTION GENERALLY TRANSVERSE TO SAID AXIS. 